The scoreline was unforgivable, the manner of the collapse an affront to all those who have served the club with honour and distinction.

It was shameful, embarrassing, shambolic. Keep plucking out the negative adjectives and they will all fit the heaviest defeat Everton have suffered at home in European competition, the narrative of a spineless night wholly in keeping for the way they have played in the Europa League this season.

Yet, bizarrely, Everton 1 Atalanta 5 was not the worst thing about this spineless night. What mattered most was the bewildering situation; the inertia and the lack of direction that has left Everton drifting like a ship without a rudder, lurching further and further off course into a storm.

Robin Gosens scored a spectacular third goal for Atalanta at Goodison Park. CLICK HERE for more from MATCH ZONE.

Everton sacked Ronald Koeman 32 days ago. The failure to appoint a permanent successor in the intervening period, from the botched attempt to recruit Marco Silva to a couple of high-profile rejections, is now having serious, potentially ruinous ramifications.

Farhad Moshiri, the club's major shareholder, is the man on whom the spotlight is shining. It is he who is driving the recruitment search and if his mind has not been focused on the urgency of the situation, he will be guilty of gross negligence.

'That is down to the board, that is their decision,' said Wayne Rooney. 'Since [David] Unsworth has come in, there has been a great atmosphere among the players, some positive results; the players are enjoying it. But the board have got a decision to make. I'm sure they're working on it.'

They better had be; there is nothing shocking about stating that Everton have lost because they have been beaten with ease most weeks. This was the 11th defeat in their last 17 matches, the 12th consecutive fixture in which they have failed to keep a clean sheet.

But this was part defeat, part submission. No blame can be handed to David Unsworth, the caretaker manager, for a mess left behind by significant others but he is not being helped by Moshiri's lack of decisiveness and if it continues Everton's plight will become all the more perilous.

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Captain on the night Wayne Rooney embraces caretaker boss David Unsworth on the touchline ahead of kick-off

Atalanta goalkeeper Etrit Berisha receives some support from a team-mate after suffering an early injury in the first-half

Everton midfielder Tom Davies takes the ball upfield beyond Atalanta's Marten de Roon during the early stages of the game

Dutch midfielder Davy Klaassen was handed a rare starting opportunity following his summer move from Ajax

Everton winger Kevin Mirallas falls to the ground as he grapples with Atalanta's Remo Freuler on Thursday night

If ever a scene reflected the current mood of a club this was it. Goodison was empty, rafts and rafts of blue seats indicating how switched off the fan base has become on the back of a campaign that drained the spirits and sapped the soul.

'I know there wasn't anything riding on the game but we had paying Evertonians here and I stressed we had to compete,' said Unsworth, his teeth grinding as he faced a post-match inquisition.

'The manner we capitulated just isn't acceptable and the players know that.'

That Atalanta were the opposition was, in some ways, fitting. It was in September when the Italians stripped Everton bare in a 3-0 defeat in the opening Group E game that rang alarm bells about the situation that was threatening to unfold.

Everton have not recovered from that chastening evening. Europe was supposed to provide proof of the progress they were making as a club but, instead, it has become an absolute inconvenience and a return of one point from their first four games has been a cause for embarrassment.

Unsworth may have urged the squad to restore some pride and provide some encouragement to those who had ventured out on a filthy evening. It was also a chance for those who have struggled for confidence to lift themselves from the doldrums.

Rooney attempts to find a team-mate with a long ball during Everton's clash with their Serie A opponents

Everton striker Sandro Ramirez keeps a close eye on Atalanta's Jose Luis Palomino during the first period at Goodison Park

Everton youngster Beni Baningime was handed a chance to impress in Thursday night's Europa League dead-rubber

Cristante waves to the traveling Atalanta supporters after his early strike gave them the lead after 12 minutes

SUPER STAT

17,431 -Everton's lowest attendance at Goodison Park since 15,293 Toffees turned out to watch their side crash to a 2-1 defeat by Wimbledon in third round of the FA Cup in 1993.

But what did he get? Nothing. Just the same dross on a different day. No matter how many times Unsworth throws the squad names up in the air, no matter how many ways he tinkers with the line-up, the lack of pace and belief continues to betray them.

Within 13 minutes, the were behind. It was well executed, Timothy Castagne scuttling down the right flank and jinking away from Cuco Martina before crossing into the centre; Ashley Willianms tried to clear but he only found Bryan Cristante, who thumped his finish beyond Joel Robles.

A closer examination of the move, however, magnified many faults. What has happened to Michael Keane? He was hoodwinked far too easily by the marauding Castagne. Where was the desire to throw a body in the way? The midfield simply let him drift into a position to inflict damage.

'The teams we are playing against aren't having to work very hard, they're not scoring wonder goals,' said Unsworth. 'They are really poor defensive goals.

'I asked the players to make it difficult for me to leave them out at the weekend. They have actually made it easy.'

Everton defender Ashley Williams has his hands on his head after his side failed to keep a clean-sheet once again

Davies had a goal-bound effort cleared off the line by Rafael Toloi as Everton fought to get back into the game

Things went from bad to worse for the hosts when Williams fouled Cristante inside the penalty area

Papu Gomez saw his penalty easily saved by Joel Robles to keep Everton in the contest just after half-time

Everton goalkeeper Robles was then quick to fly out and save Gomez's attempt at scoring on the rebound

There was no booing, no murmuring at half-time. Just acceptance. Everton had some chances before the interval, the best falling to Tom Davies and Sandro Ramirez, but really, it was hard to argue that parity would have been deserved.

After the break, they ended up on the end of the pummelling that always seemed likely. Alejandro Gomez saw a penalty saved by Robles after Cristante, a constant menance who had a header cleared off the line by Jonjoe Kenny, had been chopped down by Williams.

Cristante deservedly doubled Atalanta's advantage in the 64th minute, sneaking in between Williams and Davies to glance a header into the Park End net, before Sandro drilled in his first goal since his £5million arrival from Malaga but, even then, there was no consolation to be had.

Everton did what Everton do and collapsed in the dying moments, allowing substitutes Robin Gosens and Andreas Cornelius – once of Cardiff City – to score in the 86th, 87th and 90th minutes. It was an embarrassment to a club that prides itself on fighting.

Yet the fight is no longer there and the onus, ultimately, falls on Moshiri. He must find a manager, he must provide direction. If he doesn't, he will come understand what a tempest really is.

Ramirez scores his first goal for Everton but it proved little more than a consolation as the hosts were humbled

Robin Gosens celebrates with team-mate Timoty Castagne after scoring a decisive third goal late on for the Italians

The traveling away supporters enjoyed their superiority over Everton as they sealed qualification to the last 32

Over four years after joining Cardiff, Danish international Cornelius celebrates scoring his first goal in England

Wayne Rooney trudges off the pitch after another horror show from Everton continued their miserable European campaign